Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy said he followed the argument on non-recurring costs, but he then went back to the figure of €24 million, the argument about which he says he understands. We have protected class sizes. We did not worsen pupil-teacher ratios in any of the budgets we introduced. Even in the teeth of the crisis we protected them and have now improved them. With the very first easement of pressure on us, we improved the pupil-teacher ratios, the result of which will be an additional 2,260 teachers next year. On the quality of the school environment which is equally important, on the capital side we have prioritised investment in schools. We built schools in the worst of times.

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